Upside Down Horseface Loach

[SuperCat]

Hi! I'm new to aquarium advice but I've been looking through these posts for about a year now. So bear with me!

I have a 30g fish tank, two-three plants in it. I had a couple more but in the past week or two, more and more of my fish have died.
I had gotten my water tested at the fish store and they said my parameters are fine, the pH was a little low but it's not too much of a problem. He also said that I had some ammonia in my tank but a water change will do the trick.
I had done a 50% water change the day before so obviously I think there's something wrong with the ammonia levels in my tank. For the past 3 days, I have been doing 50% water changes everyday in fear that my ammonia levels would be too high. I have ordered an ammonia testing kit as well as Ammo-Lock by API but won't come in until Saturday.

I have a 30g, instant aquarium sand from Carib Sea, two small pieces of driftwood, and two big-ish plants and a lily pad that is still pretty small. I had thrown away two other plants I had in there because I feared that they were adding to the ammonia level due to the small pieces of plant just floating around in my tank.

I had just added fish to the tank about 2-3 weeks ago because I had just come back from school. I had my tank all set up, the filter going and everything with my sand and decorations for about 3 weeks beforehand. The instant aquarium sand had gotten great reviews so I thought it would set up my tank just fine, the sand claimed to cycle my tank and would be good for a beginner tank.

I currently have 5 glass catfish, 4 marble hatchets, a panda corycat, a green corycat, 3 horseface loaches, and a couple baby guppies.

I know, my tank is pretty much overcrowded. That is definitely, probably the main reason why my ammonia levels are so high and my filter probably can't do enough to fix the ammonia levels. I'm using a 40g whisper filter from Tetra with Marina premium carbon pellets that are ammonia neutralizing.

I'm wondering what can I do to keep my fish from dying? I have a horseface loach who is not happy, he is not currently in the tank. He is in a 1.5g fish bowl right now with an airstone to help him breathe. He is my 4th horseface loach. He seems to be doing better now than he did while in my tank because I came home to him floating at the top. When I put him in the bowl he was floating upside down but still breathing. He's swimming a little more now but he always stayed at the bottom of the tank so it was alarming to see him at the surface. I know that means he needs more air so I put him in the bowl hoping that his condition will improve.

Should I just get another tank? Add another filter? I've already lost 2 kuhli loaches, a green corycat, and two panda corycats.

I already know that my tank is overcrowded but it's so hard to just let them die off. I feel too bad!

If I get another tank, what size should I get? Can I still keep the 30g the way it is as long as I add another filter and some Ammo-Lock?

It makes me so sad when my fish die!! Please help

 

[Delapool]

Hi, welcome to AA

Water chemistry I agree is worth checking. Did the lfs tell you the results?

Water changes (roughly temp matched) sound good to continue with. Don't suppose your test kit has arrived? Did you just get ammonia or the master FW test kit?

 

[keegster803]

Welcome to AA! I'd recommend getting a API FW Master kit as it is more accurate then test strips, and it includes tests for nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, and Ph. I'd recommend doing weekly 50% percent water changes. It helps a lot for fish, especially sensitive ones like horsefaces.


Sent via echolocation

 

[SuperCat]

Hi!

No the local fish store had only told me that my pH was a little on the low side and there was some levels of ammonia in the water.

I only got the ammonia tester. I will be ordering the master kit soon.

Within the past few days, the horsefaces were doing well in the 1.5g tank with daily or twice daily 100% water changes. I had also put my corycats in there as well because I was afraid they would end up like the other corycats.

The day after i posted this, I had done a 100% water change and I washed out the sand as thoroughly as I could at 12am. I thought after a few days, I could let the little guys go back in the tank because I felt bad keeping them in a tiny bowl with 5 other mates. Only after a few hours, I found all four of my horsefaces had died.

I've concluded that it is most likely my sand and I will be boiling my sand within the next few days.

I'll also be moving my corycats back into the 1.5g tank.
My glasscats and hatchets are doing well. I had also lost a guppy but I never wanted any guppies to begin with.

I wonder why my sand was so toxic to the horsefaces?
They had lasted a good amount of time in the sand the first two weeks but after a few hours, all of them had died. I'm so confused. And sad.

I guess I'll stay away from horsefaces or loaches at all until I've perfected my tank. I feel really bad. Sorry horseys, and kuhlis.

 

[sinibotia]

I think the problem was more likely the ammonia. Any ammonia at all is bad. Loaches, for a number of reasons, are more susceptible than many other kinds of fish to ammonia. Corydoras are as well, for some of the same reasons. It sounds like you're tank isn't cycled, which would explain the presence of ammonia. I would never test anything that claims to cycle your tank without following along with a test kit. There are too many variables and things that could go wrong with them. You should get an API master test kit ASAP.

 

[SuperCat]

Yeah mistake on my part. I had put the ammonia tester in the water the moment I got it (after the 100% water change) and the ammonia levels are below .02ppm, which is supposed to be safe. The ammonia levels have not changed since. I added the Ammo-Lock as well, just to make sure. I have placed an order for the master testing kit. I know kuhlis and horsefaces do not have scales and are really susceptible to anything in the water. I had my two kuhlis in my 1.5g for a good 5 months and had no problem with it. My sand must be the culprit. I hope to have better luck later on, when the tank is cycled and happy.
I don't know what the sand could be doing to the poor loaches so sad.

 

[sinibotia]

Yeah mistake on my part. I had put the ammonia tester in the water the moment I got it (after the 100% water change) and the ammonia levels are below .02ppm, which is supposed to be safe. The ammonia levels have not changed since. I added the Ammo-Lock as well, just to make sure. I have placed an order for the master testing kit. I know kuhlis and horsefaces do not have scales and are really susceptible to anything in the water. I had my two kuhlis in my 1.5g for a good 5 months and had no problem with it. My sand must be the culprit. I hope to have better luck later on, when the tank is cycled and happy.
I don't know what the sand could be doing to the poor loaches so sad.

Loaches tend to prefer sand, and I have experience with a LOT of loaches, so I really don't know how it could possibly be the sand. Though I can't say I know what else might be it.